Floppy disk auxiliary memory device

ABSTRACT

A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device contains a floppy disk drive device (7) and includes a portable body (1) having an insertion slot (1e) defined in a front face thereof for insertion of a floppy disk (8). An openable and closable door (2) is mounted on the body (1) for covering the front face thereof. If the door (2) is opened while the floppy disk drive device (7) is being operated, an alarm is issued.

This is a continuation of copending application(s) Ser. No. 07/256,064filed on 10/11/88 now abandoned which is a continuation of co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 06/871,414 filed on 5/21/86, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a memory device for use as an auxiliarymemory device in a numerical control apparatus for controlling a machinetool or the like, and more particularly to a portable auxiliary memorydevice employing a large-capacity and inexpensive magnetic recordingdisk.

2. Description of the Related Art

Numerical control (NC) apparatuses are used for controlling machinetools, industrial robots, and the like according to machining programsrecorded on paper tapes and read one block by one block by the NCapparatus. As the machining process becomes more complex, the amount ofinformation in the machining program increases, and cannot sometimes berecorded on a paper tape of an ordinary length. Large-capacity andrelatively inexpensive magnetic recording disks or floppy disks, whichare used in personal computers or the like, have recently found use asauxiliary memory devices for storing entire machining programinformation for an NC apparatus. A drive device for floppy disks isconnected to the NC apparatus and combined with a CRT display, akeyboard, or a paper tape reader for use as the auxiliary memory devicefor the machines control unit of an NC apparatus.

Recently floppy disk drive devices have been incorporated in NCapparatus is proper. However since the drive devices are not portable,but contained in the NC apparatus, they cannot be used as auxiliarymemory devices for other NC apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problem ofthe conventional auxiliary memory device. It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device thatcan be used as an auxiliary memory device for an NC apparatus, which hasmeans to reliably prevent dust from entering the drive device.

According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained byproviding a portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device comprising abody containing a floppy disk drive device and having a floppy diskinsertion slot defined in a front face thereof, a door openably andclosably attached to a front portion of the body for covering the frontface of the body, detecting means disposed in the vicinity of the doorfor detecting the opening and closing of the door, a control unitdisposed in the body for issuing an alarm signal in response to anopen-door signal from the detecting means during operation of the floppydisk drive device, and alarm means operable in response to the alarmsignal from the control unit.

The portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device of the invention isarranged as described above. Since the body in which the floppy diskdrive device is contained is portable, it can be carried easily andconnected to an NC apparatus in use at any location. After use, theportable floppy disk auxiliary memory device can be carried andconnected to another NC apparatus. Therefore, the portable floppy diskauxiliary memory device can efficiently be used in practice.

Inasmuch as the door is attached to the front portion of the body andcovers the insertion slot at all times except when a floppy disk is tobe loaded or removed, dust is prevented from entering the portablefloppy disk auxiliary memory device through the insertion slot while thefloppy disk auxiliary memory device is being carried or used in a dustyplace. As a result, a dust deposit will not prevent the read/write headfrom touching the magnetic recording surface of the floppy disk.

Furthermore, if the door is opened while the floppy disk drive device isin operation, an alarm is issued by the alarm means to alert theoperator. Thus the floppy disk is prevented from being read in error,and the recorded data is prevented from being distorted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable floppy disk auxiliary memorydevice according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable floppy disk auxiliarymemory device with its door open;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system for the memory device;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of operation of the portable floppy disk auxiliarymemory device;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a numerical control apparatus to whichthe floppy disk auxiliary memory device of the has been attached; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the floppy disk auxiliary memory device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will hereinafter be described in specific detailwith reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable floppy disk auxiliary memorydevice (portable FD auxiliary memory device) FIG. 2 is a perspectiveview of the portable FD auxiliary memory device with its door open, andFIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system for the portable FDauxiliary memory device. As shown, the portable FD auxiliary memorydevice has a body 1, and a handle 1c that is mounted on an upper portionof the body by fixing means such as rivets or the like and is grippedwhen carrying the memory device. A panel 1a is attached to the frontface of the body 1 and has an insertion slot le defined centrallytherein for inserting a floppy disk (FD) 8 therethrough. Within, thebody 1, there are housed a drive device (FDD) 7 for driving the FD 8 anda control unit 6. A door detecting button 1f is mounted on a lowerportion of the panel 1a for detecting the opening and closing of a door2. When the door 2 is closed, the door, detecting button 1f is pushed into operate an open/closed sensor positioned in the body 1 for applying aclosed-door signal to the control unit 6. A hook-shaped engagementmember 1g is attached to the lefthand side of the central portion of thepanel 1a for engaging a locking member 2c on the door 2 when the door 2is closed.

In the rear portion of the body 1, a power supply (not shown) foroperating the FDD 7 and signal cords (not shown) for connection to an NCapparatus (described later) as provided.

The door 2 is openably and closably mounted by hinges 1b, on the frontportion of the body 1 for protecting the panel 1a and preventing dustfrom entering through the FD insertion slot 1e. A handle 2a for openingand closing the door 2 is attached to a front face of the door 2. Foropening the door 2, the handle 2a and a lever 2b disposed therein aregripped, whereupon the locking member inside the door 2 is unlocked fromthe engagement member 1g so that the door can be opened. The door 2supports on its front face an access lamp 3 indicating that the FD 8 isbeing accessed and an alarm lamp 4 which flickers during an alarm stateand an alarm buzzer 5 for generating noise during an alarm state, thatis when the door 2 is opened while the FD 8 is being accessed. Theaccess lamp 3, alarm lamp 4, and alarm buzzer 5 are operated undercommands from the control unit 6 disposed in the body 1.

The portable FDD auxiliary memory device according to this embodiment isconstructed as above. After the FD 8 has been loaded through theinsertion slot le into the FDD 7, the door 2 is closed, and aclosed-door signal is issued from the open/closed sensor. Upon receiptof the closed-door signal, the control unit 6 will permit access to theFD 8. Thereafter, an instruction to start to access the FD 8 is givenmanually or from an NC apparatus coupled to the portable FDD auxiliarymemory device, whereupon the control unit 6 gives a command to startaccessing the FD 8 to the FDD 7. In response to the access startingcommand, the FDD 7 starts to access the FD 8 and supplies the controlunit 6 with a signal indicating that the FD 8 is being accessed. Withthis signal, the control unit 6 energizes the access lamp 3 on the door2 to give the operator an indication that the FD 8 is being accessed.

If the door 2 is opened while the FDD 7 is accessing the FD 8 (and thuswhile the access lamp 3 is being energized), the door detecting button1f on the panel 1a detects that, the door 2 is opened, enabling theopen/closed sensor to send a signal to the control unit 6. The controlunit 6 then flickers the alarm lamp 4 on the door 2 and actuates thealarm buzzer 5 in order to warn the operator of the open door. When thedoor 2 is closed by the operator upon noticing the alarm lamp 4 or thealarm buzzer 5, the door detecting button 1f is pushed in by the door 2,and a closed-door signal is sent from the open/closed sensor to thecontrol unit 6. The control unit 6 now issues an OFF command to thealarm lamp 4 and the alarm buzzer 5.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of operation of the embodiment of the presentinvention. The flowchart will now be described.

After the FD 8 has been inserted in the FDD 7, a step A ascertainswhether the door 2 is closed or not. If the signal from the open/closedsensor indicates that the door is closed, then the FD 8 can be accessedby the FDD 7. When the FDD 7 starts accessing the FD 8 under a commandfrom the control unit 6, the access lamp is turned on to indicate thatthe FD 8 is being accessed.

If the door 2 is opened while the FD 8 is being accessed, the answer toa decision step B is NO, and the alarm lamp 4 and the alarm buzzer 5 areturned on, warning the operator of the open door. If the door is thenclosed during step B, the alarm lamp 4 and the alarm buzzer 5 are turnedoff, and the warning is ended. The access lamp remain on until theaccessing of the FD 8 is ended. After the accessing of the FD 8 isended, the access lamp is turned off.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the portable FDD auxiliary memory device asattached to an NC apparatus, and FIG. 6 shows such an arrangement inblock form.

Those parts in FIGS. 5 and 6 which are identical to those shown in FIGS.1 through 3 are denoted by identical reference characters. Denoted at 20is a machine control unit of an NC apparatus, 22 a display thereof, 21 amanual data input device thereof, and 23 a paper tape reader.

Designated at 10 is an arithmetic unit disposed in the portable, FDauxiliary memory device of the present invention and comprising amicrocomputer composed of a CPU (central processing unit 11), a ROM(read-only memory 12), a RAM 13, an input/output interface 14, and a businterconnecting these components. The RAM 13 serves to store the resultsof arithmetic operations effected, by the CPU 11 and data through, theinput/output interface 14. The input/output interface 14 is connected tothe FDD 7 and the NC apparatus 20 for data exchange between the FD 8,the NC apparatus 20, and the arithmetic unit 10.

With the body 1 connected to the NC apparatus 20, upon a command fromthe NC apparatus 2 data can be written into the memory of the FD 8 ordata can be read from the FD 8. The auxiliary memory device thus servesas part of the memory of the NC apparatus 20.

Although a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described, itshould be understood that the present invention is not limited to theillustrated embodiment, but many changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the present invention.

A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device of the invention can becarried and has a dust-proof ability. Therefore, it can be used an aauxiliary memory device for a numerical control apparatus is for machinetools or the like which are employed in dusty places.

We claim:
 1. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device for a machine control unit of a numeric control apparatus having a main memory for storing numeric control machining information, comprising:a body disposed outside the machine control unit and having an interior formed by sidewalls and containing a floppy disk drive device in the interior and having a floppy disk insertion slot defined in one of the sidewalls to receive a floppy disk having auxiliary numeric control machining information stored therein as a auxiliary memory; an input/output interface disposed in the body for data transfer from the auxiliary memory to the machine control unit; a door pivotally connected to a front portion of said body and being movable between open and closed positions over the sidewall of said body having the insertion slot; detecting means disposed in the vicinity of said door for detecting open and closed positions of said door, a control unit disposed is said body and coupled to the floppy disk drive and the detecting means for permitting access to the floppy disk when the door is detected in the closed position and for issuing an alarm signal and blocking access to the disk drive device when position of the door is open; and alarm means operable in response to the alarm signal from said control unit for indicating an alarm when the door is detected in the open position.
 2. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 1, wherein said alarm means is disposed on a front face of said door.
 3. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 1, wherein said body has a handle on an upper portion thereof.
 4. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 1, further comprising an input/output means for connecting said auxiliary memory device to a numerical control apparatus.
 5. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 1, wherein after insertion of a floppy disk into the floppy disk drive device said control unit will not permit access to the floppy disk until after said door is closed.
 6. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device connectable to a numeric control apparatus to supplement existing memory, comprising:a floppy disk drive device; a body disposed outside the numeric control unit having n interior formed by sidewalls and containing said floppy disk drive device in the interior and having a floppy disk drive device in the interior and having a floppy disk insertion slot provided in one of the sidewalls of said body; covering means openably and closably operable for covering the floppy disk insertion slot; input/output means for connecting the auxiliary memory device to the numeric control apparatus; detecting means disposed in the vicinity of said covering means for detecting open and closed positions of said covering means; a control unit disposed in said body and coupled to the floppy disk drive and the detecting means for permitting access to the floppy disk when the door is detected in the closed position and for generating an alarm signal and for blocking access to the disk drive device when the detected position of the door is open; and alarm means operable in response to the alarm signal from said control unit for indicating an alarm when the door is detected in the open position.
 7. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 1, wherein said alarm means comprises a flashing light and a noise making device.
 8. A portable floppy disk auxiliary memory device according to claim 6, wherein said alarm means comprises a flashing light and a noise making device. 